Mirror drop-curtain.



PATENTBD MAR. 10, 1903..

H. M. WILLIAMS. MIRROR DROP CURTAIN. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1901.

I0 MODEL.

UNTTnn STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

HENRY M. WVILLIAMS, OF FORT WVAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTI-I 'IO FRANZ BURGER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

MIRROR DROP-CURTAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,342, dated March 10, 1903.

Application filed February 25, 1901. Serial No. 48,805. (No modelfl To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HENRY M. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, Allen county, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mirror Drop-Curtains, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to drop-curtains for theaters and the like, and has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and effective dropcurtain which shall be fireproof and fire-protecting and which shall also have a reflecting or mirror-like face; and to this end my invention consists in the various features of construction, substantially as hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated an embodiment of myinvention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to understand the same, Figure l is a back view of the curtain, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

It is well known that metal, while of itself being fireproof, is more fire-resisting if it is provided with a smooth or polished face, and I take advantage of this fact and make the curtain of metal having a polished surface, and this surface not only has the function referred to, but also performs the function of a reflector, making a mirror-like surface, thereby adding to its practical function a pleasing effect.

With this general statement I will now describe the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, wherein- A and B represent two hangers, one at each side, which may be of any suitable material, but for the purpose of lightness are shown as made up of a skeleton framework, and these hangers furnish bearings for two horizontal rollers C and D. The hangers are further braced in any suitable way, as by the rods E and F, making a light but sufiiciently rigid frame, to which are attached any suitable means for raising and lowering the same-as, for instance, the screw-eyes O--to which the ordinary ropes-or other lifting device may be attached, as indicated.

Mounted on the frame and supported on the horizontal rollers O and D is the curtain G, which, as above indicated, is preferably of metal, having its surfaces polished. This curtain may be secured upon the rollers in any suitable way; but in order to provide for expansion of the metal I show adjustable means for holding the curtain in place and at the same time for keeping it taut and smooth regardless of changes in length due to expansion. Thus the ends of the curtain are furnished with a bar or rod H H, to which the metal is secured, and to the bars or rods in the present instance are secured the screws J and screw-hooks K, and interposed between these are suitable take-up devices, shown in the present instance as spiral springs L and turnbuckles M, for adjusting the same.

In order to cheapen the cost of a wide plate of metal and to aid in the manufacture of the curtain, I construct it of a number of strips or widths of metal 9 g, 850., and these strips have their edges abutting in close contact with each other and are secured together in any suitable manner, and I have shown their inner edges covered with strips h h, of any suitable material, attached to the adjacent widths, and these may be of fabric cemented thereon or any other material which will properly hold the adjacent edges together. In the present instance I have shown each width of metal as having two spring-tension devices connected therewith in order to furnish an even tension over all parts of the curtain; but more or less tension devices may be used.

With this construction I am enabled to provide an efiective fireproof curtain, which is also fire-resisting in that its surfaces are polished, and the polished surface also acts as a mirror or reflector, adding to the appearance adjacent to each other, and means for adjustably holding the sheets in position on the frame, substantialIy as described.

3. A theater-curtain comprising a movable prisinga number of sheets of metal mounted on the rollers, spring-tension devices between the ends of the rollers and adj usting devices [5 connected with the springs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY M. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

W. F. WILKEN, GEo. D. CRANE. 

